He is a 21 yr old Centre, 6' 200lbs, tenacious forechecker, led the NHL in takeaways ala Pavel Datsyuk, potted 18g/37a/55pts but a -1. He has tons of upside and his only real detraction would be his holding out for more $$$.

The reported price tag is a top 6 roster player and a top prospect(probably could use an early 1st round pick instead of this).

This is the kind of player who doesn't become available very often and you can build around. He could be a real difference maker but competition will be fierce. If I'm the Coilers or Flamers I go "all in" on this one as both teams need this guy bad. Interest from the east is higher, apparently, but a team like the Oilers could build an excellent package to bring him up to Coilerville.

He's worth far more than the Avs are offering ($3m and change) and he's stuck behind two players who will get many, many more chances than he will to remain in those two spots (anyone think the Avs are going to be happy with former 2nd overall pick Matt Duchene or olympian Paul Stastny and his huge salary on their 3rd line?)..

I don't think they'd deal him to the Canucks but I would offer Booth and Gaunce (his brother plays in that organization, remember) for O'Reilly. Maybe a draft pick if that's what it takes.

That is if it seemed like you could get O'Reilly signed in the $4m/year neighbourhood and had reason to believe you could play one of him, Ryan Kesler or Jordan Schroeder on the wing indefinitely.

dbr wrote:I don't think they'd deal him to the Canucks but I would offer Booth and Gaunce (his brother plays in that organization, remember) for O'Reilly. Maybe a draft pick if that's what it takes.

i doubt Booth and Gaunce is enough. Booth hasn't exactly proven anything, couple this with his salary and I just can't see the Avs biting.I'd think more along the lines of Burrows and Gaunce, but that's a steep price. It would be enticing to them though which could get it done. Who knows...we're all just speculators anyway!!!!

That being said adding O'Reilly would be a major coup, I'm not sure I'd deal Burrows (who is even further away from the age of their core players than DB7) but I'd certainly add to Booth to get that deal done.

RoR becomes another issue for Schroeder too. Not many teams have third line centers making $4+/yr and come to think about it, Colorado has their top two centers locked up for the next couple of yrs as well. (Stasny/Duchene)

O’Reilly wants to be paid like a 30-goal scorer in this league. He scored 39 goals his first three years in the league. He’s never even scored 20. Guys who steal a few pucks and score 15-20 goals are great (his career high is 18, last year), but they aren’t $5 million a year players.

- O’Reilly is basing all his salary demands on one good year. He wants at least $5 million a year for one good year. But he’s played three. Sorry, kid, but you haven’t proven yourself enough yet to get that kind of money. Besides, if you’re as good as you say you are, then you’d have taken a one- or two-year deal, played your butt off and put up another big and maybe even better year and PROVEN you’re not just a one-year wonder. Then, you would have really had the Avs by the shorthairs at the bargaining table.

Then, you would have been eligible for arbitration and pretty much gotten any salary you’d want from the arbitrator. Or, you would have forced the Avs to cry uncle, admit you’re the real deal and then gotten that long-term deal for maybe even more money than you want now.But you want to be guaranteed huge money for a long time without truly having proven yet that you can do it consistently.

- You had your best scoring year playing with the NHL rookie of the year. Which came first, the chicken or the egg?

- Your camp may be ridiculing supposed friend and teammate Matt Duchene for taking a short-money contract and thereby setting a floor too low for your own self. Fine, but guess what? Matt Duchene worked his butt off this summer, got himself in incredible shape and has played great this season, and now he’s likely looking at a huge new contract before too long. Maybe the Avs even reward him already with a rich contract extension before too long, to not have to worry about keeping him down the road.

That could have been you.

Oh, and by the way: Duchene put up 132 points his first two years in the league. You put up 52 and were a combined minus-3. In fact, your career plus-minus is -4.

- Speaking of that great last season you had, can we talk about the last six games of the year? You know, the ones that were the crunch-time games, the ones that would determine if the Avs made the playoffs or not, the ones where the really great players are supposed to rise to the occasion?Your stats for the final six games: Zero goals, one assist, -2.Over the final 18 games, you scored two goals for us.

I think O'reilly will be a good player, but he's unproven and the Av's are absolutely doing the right thing. With the cap coming down, teams are going to hammer the RFA's without arbitration rights. See PK Subban for further evidence that this will become the trend.

It's about time owners began using the CBA to their advantage, instead of locking players every few years. Ever since the Vanek and Penner offer sheets,the contracts players get coming of their ELC has been ridiculous since the players have essentially no leverage.

dangler wrote:doesn't sound like the type of player The Gillis would target

because of his style of play? orbecause of his price tag request?or because he may be an asshole?

just askin..

-O’Reilly wants to be paid like a 30-goal scorer in this league. He scored 39 goals his first three years in the league. He’s never even scored 20. Guys who steal a few pucks and score 15-20 goals are great (his career high is 18, last year), but they aren’t $5 million a year players.

- O’Reilly is basing all his salary demands on one good year. He wants at least $5 million a year for one good year. But he’s played three. Sorry, kid, but you haven’t proven yourself enough yet to get that kind of money. Besides, if you’re as good as you say you are, then you’d have taken a one- or two-year deal, played your butt off and put up another big and maybe even better year and PROVEN you’re not just a one-year wonder. Then, you would have really had the Avs by the shorthairs at the bargaining table.